Just Passing By
by Fred Golightly
Summary: Kyle is making his way home for Christmas but meets a few old characters on the way. Takes place after Last Window but no spoilers. Includes characters from both games. Will include alternate ending s  when the time comes.
1. Chapter 1:  Dining

FRIDAY

December 14th, 1984

Boston,MA

8:47 P.M.

Kyle Hyde sipped on whiskey. Annoyed surprisingly. Drinking was something that used to help him relax. A serene pastime that carried him through the years but had been disturbed publicly by technology. He winced at the obnoxious sound of the Pac Man machine blaring in the corner and the troupe of loud nerds surrounding it. This was only as half as annoying as the frat boys in the opposite shouting and dropping glasses. "Maybe Friday night wasn't the best idea." He took a sip and cleared his throat "Why am I even here again?"

"Hello, sir!" a perky voice chirped "How may I help you tonight?" Kyle looked up to see a sweet young woman, hair tied up and steno pad in hand.

"Can I say 'the usual' even though this is my first time here?"

"Let me see if I still remember" Claire Reagan raised her pen to her chin, pondering. "Bitter black coffee with steak, medium rare coupled with potatoes?"

"You got it." Kyle grinned. "How are you, Claire?"

"Oh, you know. Just helping papa with the restaurant. I started school last fall and decided to major into anthropology. I got accepted into BU. Its pricey but the ills get paid."

"Well then, I'm guessing business is booming, huh?"

They both glanced around the restaurant, taking in the crowded building. The rhetorical question answered itself. Frat boys joking loudly, young kids playing in the corner, students in a studying, a guy reading. This restaurant was popular with all kinds.

"Anthropology, huh? Looks like you'll be a regular Jane Goodall."

Claire chuckled at this "Something like that! But what about _you _Mr. Hyde what brings you toBoston any how?"

"Well, I'm actually on my way toManhattan. I'm going to see my mom for Christmas. I promised thanksgiving but, honestly didn't want to go. I'm just passing by and remembered you had moved here so I figured, why not?"

"You were always slinking around, haha". Claire smiled but then looked mildly puzzled "But wait. If you're going toNew York, why did you land here? That's pretty close for a layover isn't it?"

Kyle took a gulp of whiskey and coolly said "I'm driving by, actually"

"Driving? From LA?"

"Sure am. Nothing like a good drive on the open road to clear your head. Listening to the jazz stations cut in and out through the states, warm breezes turning to cool air. I like it. Try getting that on a plane."

"That's so…so you Kyle. I can see where you're coming fro-"

"HEY TOOTS! Whaddo I gotta do to getta pint'a la-gah around he-yah?" Some townie yelled.

"Simmer down, I got your lager right here" Sidney Reagan came from behind the bar and gave the boisterous townie his pint. The townie belched and clumsily replied

"I was hopin' that babe wit the sweet curves would come ovah"

Sidneylowered his eyes to the townie and whispered "That 'chick' is my daughter".

Knowing his place, the townie grabbed his jacket and fled the over at his daughter and did a double take. "It can't be. Is that?" Kyle smiled and gave a half wave "Well I'll be damned. How are you, good man? Long time no see!"Sidneygave a firm long handshake. They went over the same thing that Claire went over with Kyle.

"I still can't believe you're making your way by car. That's either crazy or impressive."Sidneywent on "That's like what, 5 days?"

"Yeah yeah. 5 days."

Claire looked concerned "You're not gonna drive this late are you?"

"No I'm staying at a hotel. The Buckminster"

"Oh that's right near my school! You're right byFenwayParkand the Citco sign"

"I hear that's the closest thing this city's got to a landmark" Kyle teased.

"It is one!" Claire cutely exclaimed..

"Yeah yeah. Well I'd better be off to get some rest. It's been one hell of a ride and its not over yet."

"Well then. It was good seeing you Kyle. You're a good man and I wish you Kyle's hand and nodded.

"Thanks. Good luck with everything,Sidney."

Claire hugged Kyle. "Thanks Mr. Hyde. For, well, everything." She whispered in his ear "Without you, none of this would be possible." She backed away, smiled warmly. "Don't be a stranger". Kyle cracked a reassuring smile. He grabbed his Red Crowne jacket and his trusty father's briefcase. Shuffling his way though college students and a haze of smoke, he pushed the door and escaped to the snowy night.


	2. Chapter 2: Learning

Friday

December 14th 1984

Boston, MA 9:27

A frigid wind swept in while Kyle made his way to the subway. Flurries were coming down fast and light. He pulled his jacket tighter as he went down the steps and got on the red line. Tired, he just looked out the window as the train crossed the Charles River. The moon shone brightly illuminating some docks. When he noticed them, he couldn't help but get wrapped up in nostalgia. Bradley came to mind. Sure Kyle tried to convince himself and his friends that the whole situation was ancient history but deep down he knew it could never be so simple. Half hearted memories lazily crossed his mind. The late night interrogations together, their crime busts as exciting as those in movies. A tranquil trance set in and the train seemed to disappear under him and silence without the slightest effort on his part. The only thing he could hear was that phone ringing. The frantic steps running towards that dock in New York and the memory of him drawing his gun and yelling something. He didn't remember what he said. For some reason, that part of the memory always got lost in the shuffle. All he could remember was pointing the gun at Bradley. Right as he was going to shoot, the docks disappeared into a slab of concrete and the sound of the gun shot surrendered to the sound of the loud screeching noise of the train coming to a stop. He was sure that he heard the conductor muffle something over the speaker but ignored it. The doors opened and Kyle fled the train at the wrong stop. He knew it was wrong but by this point wasn't exactly in the mood to just go back to the hotel.

Wanting to shake off the memory and lingering sadness, he took a left at the platform and headed up the steps to a freezing night. He was in Harvard Square. Being a Friday night, the streets were packed with preppy college kids wearing Benetton and Burberry. "Spoiled kids" Kyle muttered. He looked over at the actual college. Old as dirt but still well maintained and historic. Harvard University. Kyle never went to college. He never regretted it either. He liked to think that there were things schools just couldn't teach. Being the great detective that he was, not a single person who knew him would disagree. Kyle head towards the building and onto the quad where kids were throwing snowballs. He didn't think much of this until a rogue snowball crunched on his right shoulder just barely missing his face. Brushing this off, he looked over at the apologetic students, one of which was rushing over, and snapped "Hey watch it, will ya?"

The guy rushing over said "Whoa, man I'm real sorry. We didn't mean to-" the offender stopped and got a good look. "No way" he said, looking surprised. "Kyle Hyde!"

Admittedly, it took Kyle a minute to recognize this person but when it clicked he replied "Jeff Angel."

Jeff extended his hand for a handshake, smiling brightly. Kyle was taken aback by all this. Getting past the initial surprise of seeing Jeff here after this long, he was still dealing with the differences. For one, Jeff didn't look like a spoiled punk. At least not as Kyle knew him to be. Jeff's hair was even different, looking more orderly and his general attitude seemed upbeat and even friendly. This whole thought process flashed through Kyle's mind in two seconds flat and he proceeded to return the handshake.

"Wow, Jeff Angel. This is a real surprise. What are the odds?"

"I know, right! How are you Kyle?" Jeff replied almost cheerfully

"I've been good. Just doing my thing. What about you? How have you been all these years?"

"I've been good, thanks. Working and studying hard" he signaled the school with one arm.

Normally, Kyle was a reserved man who wouldn't speak above a neutral tone but this was just too much even for him. "You go to Harvard?" Kyle exclaimed

As Jeff went to reply, he got pelted with a snowball. He motioned to his friends that he was ducking out of the game. "Let's for this way. We can talk a bit or even, you know, catch up."

They waked along the quad out to the street, the snow beneath their feet crunching with each step.

"So yeah, I'm coming here now. English major. I love writing and I hope to get something published soon. What brings you here?"

"Just passing by. That's good about college though. You know, I didn't think you would go to college. Doesn't exactly fit your…style."

Jeff raised an eyebrow and chuckled a bit "Because I was a spoiled brat, right? I get that. Why not call a spade a spate, yeah?"

"Well" Kyle exhaled "Considering everything that you'd done, I'd say spoiled and a little insane"

"And you'd be right, really. But that Jeff is long gone"

Truth be told, Kyle was dying to hear what happened. Between the stolen money, the father who was part of NILE, he was anxious to hear how the whole thing played out. As stern and hardened as he was, he was still human. Just as he was about to cave and ask, Jeff decided to fill the void.

"I bet you're wondering how it all went down, huh?"

Playing it cool, Kyle replied "Well I can't imagine it wasn't a cake walk"

"It wasn't exactly easy but it it's probably a lot simpler than you imagine" Just then, they approached a bench. Jeff lit up a cigarette and motioned for them to have a seat. "This'll probably take a while."

"Fine by me." Kyle breathed out pretending he wasn't cold.

"Where do I start. Okay, the hotel. So when you checked out that day, I grabbed the money, checked out of that dump and hightailed it on over to Beverly Hills. I went home before going to the police because honestly, I was too scared to face whatever might have happened. I wouldn't have even known what to do. When I got home, my dad was out by the pool just reading the paper. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I walked over quietly, took the money out of that nasty little Ziploc bag and just set it down next to his beer. He put down the paper, looked at the cash and then at me. He then stood up and I was braced for the worst. In the most unexpected moment of my life, he closed in, raised his hand and just pat me on the shoulder.

Without saying a single word or even looking me in the eye, he just head over to his room without saying a word. It was the most weirdly relieving moment of my life. Things were pretty quiet for the next few days, not that we were exactly chatterboxes or anything but this silence was uncomfortable. I did hear him talking to the police over the phone dropping the charges. After that, I started feeling like things were finally going back to normal." Kyle was listening avidly and Jeff took another drag and continued. "I'd done some thinking those days, you know" Jeff looked embarrassed "You really got me thinking you know" Kyle's expression didn't change. "It was time I became my old man. At first I was still set on just doing anything to piss off my dad. I even came close to legally changing my last name from Damon to Angel. But the whole thing just seemed so stupid after a while, plus it was an expensive and long process."

Kyle smirked at this because as mature as Jeff was trying to sound, some of the stuff he was saying still sounded petty. Still, Kyle was a reasonable guy and understood that Jeff was still a kid. "So you didn't change it huh?"

"Well no. Mostly because I didn't want to confront my dad about it and break the silence. Anyway, luckily for me, as much as a punk I was, I actually did very well in high school. That arrogance carried me through. In the summer of 1980 I got my first job. Well, actually two since I really had nothing going on. I busted my ass working until I got enough money to move out. I applied for a few scholarships in the meantime and well, here I am."

After all this, Kyle didn't know why exactly Jeff was telling him all this. He wasn't one to get all mushy but gave the kid a break. Rubbing his hands together, he let out "That's all great. Your father must be proud." Jeff rolled his eyes at this, lit up another cigarette and softly said "You know, that's the funny part" a weak smile formed on his face "I got so caught up in working and filling out applications for school that I seriously forgot to tell my dad I was leaving in the first place. As you can imagine, he isn't the type to keep tabs on me so he never really thought anything of me being out all day. He probably just figured I was out screwing around. A couple of nights before my leave, he passed by my room and saw me packing boxes. He asked what I was doing and I just filled him in on everything. He asked enough questions to make up for the lifetime lull of conversation we had going. After the questions he asked me not to leave and I said I had to because everything was ready including me. From that he went on to arguing and yelling how I probably thought I was better than him or something.

I just kept my head and decided to keep mellow on the whole thing. Seeing that I wouldn't budge, he offered me some money to take with me but I just declined. Not even out of pride, but out of annoyance. I was sick of living under him. The last few days after that, my dad and I talked some more. Very small talk. He saw me off at the airport. I took off, flew away and never looked back. I keep in Christmas-card-contact with my dad. We never really talk. He sends a fat wad of cash and a terse, generic message about holidays and keeping in touch. Now I'm here working and studying, sharing an apartment with three roommates and sometimes just getting by. It's not as luxurious as is could have been but its better this way. My victories are my victoriesand my hardships are my hardships. Regardless, it's all mine." I legitimate, mildly arrogant smirk flashed across his face temporarily revealing the Jeff that Kyle once knew. But it faded. "I get a bit scared sometimes though. I hear through the grapevine that NILE has a pretty big chapter in the Northeast. Sometimes I get jumpy walking alone at night. I know it's irrational but sometimes I feel like I'm being watched. To my dad's credit, he kept me out of everything but occasionally I wonder. I try not to pay attention to any of that though."

They both got off the bench and headed up the street back towards the station. The simple mention of NILE shook Kyle up. After all, the events of the past years would all be impossible without NILE. He shrugged it off a bit knowing he had nothing to really worry about. Admittedly, being next to Jeff made him feel like a bit of a target but he let it go. They passed Harvard and a few of the shops and stopped at the platform. Kyle took his hands out of his pocket and brushed them together briskly. "I gotta hand it to you, Jeff. You really cleaned up and you're on your way to becoming a sharp, stand-up guy. A real man. Color me proud and impressed. Keep it up, kid"

He extended his hand out towards Jeff for a shake. Jeff's eyes were lit up, processing everything Kyle had just said.

"Th-thanks. That really means a lot to me"

"Well then, It was good running int-"

Kyle was interrupted by a sudden tight hug. His eyes widened behind Jeff's shoulder and he kept his arms suspended while Jeff actually embraced like a desperate kid who found his mother at the grocery store. When he finally let go, Kyle looked a bit pale.

"I'm sorry. That was…yeah. I'd better go" Jeff sniffled quickly and extended his arm. Kyle, still a bit confused, reluctantly but firmly returned the gesture. Keep up the good work, kid"

Jeff tightened his scarf and walked off. He thought about the past few years. Everything that had changed so drastically. His evolution from a spoiled punk ass to a Harvard man. All of this initiated by a man named Kyle Hyde. He would never forget him.

Meanwhile, Kyle put his hands into his pockets and made his way down the steps toward the subway, still completely unaware of being the source of such changes.


	3. Chapter 3: In Waiting

New chapter and more to come. This is my first fanfic so reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy.

Friday

December 14 1984

Boston, MA 11:32PM

Kyle threw his jacket on the floor when he arrived at the hotel and just plopped onto the bed. His beeper, which he left behind intentionally, was blinking on the nightstand displaying four missed pages. He clicked through and found that one was from his mother and the others, surprise surprise, from the office. Kyle has been working for Red Crowne for the past few years. In general, the experience could be described as stable at best and mundane at worst. He couldn't bring himself to leave the job. It wasn't Lack of ambition or love for the job but familiarity that kept him there. The fact of the matter is that Kyle is a man of simplicity. God knows he's not rich but he lives well and has plenty put away. Despite the obvious financial stability are the reasons that he would never speak out loud. Ed was essentially Kyle's uncle. After his father died, Ed stepped in and saved the day the only way he knew how. He was family and Ed regarded Kyle as a nephew. Both would never say so out loud.

After a long mental debate over who to dial first, Kyle settled on his mother. He picked up the phone and sat up in bed. After a couple of rings, a tired voice came on the line.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom,you tried paging me?"

"Kyle, hi darling. Yes I did, I just wanted to see how you were coming along with the drive."

"It's going well, thanks. I'm actually in Boston now. I was too tired to just keep going plus there was an old friend I wanted to see. I should be in New Jersey tomorrow." He silently cringed at this. He loved his mother but damn, did he hate New Jersey.

"I told you to take a plane." Jeanie said mildly impatiently "Really, Kyle you're just like your father was. Always driving everywhere, stubborn as a mule." she sighed and then her tone calmed "Well darling, I'm glad to hear you're well. Drive safely, okay?"

"I will mom, don't worry."

"I'll see you tomorrow, I love you."

"I love you too."

Kyle clicked off and sighed. Like ripping off a band-aid, he quickly dialed Ed's, keeping in mind the time difference.

"Hello sweetie." Rachel replied softly after two rings. A smile formed on Kyle's face and his mild headache seemed to subside. Still, he played it cool.

"Hey Rachel. Ed's keeping you this late?"

"Actually, he left about 20 minutes ago. I was trying to page you."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I left my pager at the hotel. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything is fine. It's just that I know that you use your pager only for work so I wanted to make sure you recognized the number. I wanted to tell you that I'll be flying out to New York tomorrow."

"New York?" Kyle's heart was racing.

"Yes, tomorrow morning. Really early actually. Ed decided to start vacation early since nothing was really going on. I'm flying in to surprise my parents with an earlier visit."

"That's good. Sounds really nice. Um, if you want, we could meet up. I'll be in Jersey tomorrow but I'm free later on. Maybe around 7:00pm?"

Rachel was ecstatic. It's was no secret that she loved Kyle. She put her dating life on hold half because she wasn't really interested in dating and half because she was only interested in being with Kyle. Granted, they've never been on a date a single time that didn't involve work of some kind, she was fine with it. She's never lost patience. She knew how Kyle was and that he was worth the wait.

"That sounds good to me. We could probably get dinner. I'll be seeing my parents on Sunday and I'm going to visit some of the sights tomorrow. How about we meet up at Rockefeller Center right in front of the ice rink. You know, where the flags are, and the giant tree?"

"I like that. 7:00pm in front of the tree."

"Deal. See you tomorrow sweetie! I'd better pack."

"Its pretty cold out here. Pack something warm."

"I know, I know. I only lived there for 16 years" Rachel laughed, amused.

"Goodnight , Rach."

"Goodnight."

Kyle, letting his guard down, smiled and turned out the light and went to bed. He dreamed of Rachel.

Back at the office, Rachel smiled and looked at the clock. 8:58pm. She fibbed. Ed actually left at 5:00pm and she told him she needed to finish some paperwork even though he urged her to go home. Ed had given up and gave her a key, leaving her to lock up. Satisfied, with the call, Rachel grabbed her purse and left the office. After all, she knew how Kyle was and she's waited longer than just a couple of hours before. I her mind, he was worth it.


	4. Chapter 4: Why Me? Why now?

Saturday

December 15th 1984

Union City, NJ 1:32PM

Kyle slept in late that Saturday morning. His room was no match for the frigid 32 degree wind just outside. He got up begrudgingly at 10:56am and that's only because the lousy hotel had a checkout time of 9:00am. For lack of a better description, the drive to New Jersey was a pain in Kyle's ass. As much as he loved his mom, Kyle downright hated Jersey. One thing of his bigger regrets was not being able to convince his mother to move out of there. Granted, Jeanie was by no means in a dangerous neighborhood. In fact it was very nice. She was just walking distance to a train stop that would get her to Manhattan in under 15 minutes.

It was a genuinely freezing day in Union City. The sky was blocked by pale overcast and snow was still on the ground from the night before, though it was skillfully divided by street sweepers earlier that morning. Kyle pulled up to the apartment complex. A small collection of well maintained pale orange buildings with brown shingles. On the second floor balcony of one of them was Jeanie Hyde smiling brightly, holding her navy blue robe tightly close with her left hand and gently waving with her right.

"My baby!" Jeanie met her son halfway down the stairs and pressed her hands on his face. Kyle blushed at this. He never see's her, so on the few occasions he actually does see her, he feels obligated to let his wall down. At least that's what he tells himself that he's doing. As if it had nothing to do with the fact that his mother makes him happy. He grinned widely.

"Hey mom. It's great to see you!"

"Well, come in, come in! I have coffee and it's freezing out here!"

They went inside and hung up their outerwear. Kyle sat on the couch while Jeanie made for the kitchen. The apartment smelled like coffee and cinnamon. In front of him, the fireplace was burning brightly and low christmas music filled the room. A christmas tree illuminated a corner from the left of the couch. On that same side, there was a small end table which held up his father's old ashtray and a photo of Kyle being raised by his dad at age 9. Both were wearing New York Yankees caps. A big day at the park. Kyle's never forgotten about it because it was one of the very very few occasions that his father not only had a day off but also used it to spend time with him. He picked up the frame and looked at it fondly before putting it back down quickly. There's no use in digging up good memories if they'll just eventually turn to the bad ones.

Jeanie entered the room with a small tray containing a couple of coffee mugs and a little bowl of sesame seed snaps. Kyle's favorite treat.

"I bought these just for you." she said in that warm motherly tone "Remember every time we would get off the train you wanted to stop at the nearest corner store and pick up a handful? You we're so cute and pudgy then." Jeanie giggled at this and Kyle flushed. It was one of his closer secrets. He used to be a bit of a fattie. He grabbed a couple anyway and crunched away.

"What can I say, ma? They're delicious."

A couple of hours passed. They caught up and shared anecdotes. Jeanie talked about some of the neighbors and then some of the neighbor kids. Admittedly, Kyle wasn't particularly interested in any of it but aside from having generally good manners, what would he interrupt her with? After a few laughs, they washed out their mugs.

"Well then" Kyle began "I should be getting back on the road. I got a real long way to go." Kyle ran his hand through his hair, lowering his head in frustration. Jeanie was concerned at this and offered to pay for the flight but of course Kyle denied. He loved driving even if it was tiring. He hugged his mom and kissed her on the cheek.

"Bye sweetheart." she let out "Would it kill you to call me once in a while? I'd like to talk to my son if that's okay with you."

"Sure thing, mom. I love you. I'll call you as soon as I get home."

"I'll be waiting."

An mildly upset and worried look cast on Jeanie's faces but she said nothing. Kyle noticed that something was off. She was obviously holding back on something.

"Mom" Kyle demanded

"Oh! Y-yes?"

"Something's going on. What is it? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the gravity of the situation but Jeanie didn't even try to put up a fight or even resist. Giving up, she reached into her pocket and sighed. "Oh, oh Kyle." quivering slightly she pulled out a small black envelope. It seemed plain at first but in very small, silver embossed lettering it read "Kyle. From: Bradley". This pretty much did it for Kyle. His head quickly lost blood and his feet wobbled. Holding onto the rail of the balcony, both he and his mother stood in silence. After a long pause and endless mental calculations regarding what to say or ask Kyle finally settled on

"Where did you get this? Who gave this to you?"

His mother straightened up. Her strong instinct kicked in. She had to be firm.

"You may be annoyed with me but I've had that for quite some time now. I found this here, taped to my door one morning back in September. I just held onto it up until now."

She was right. Kyle was annoyed. He held back but continued.

"You didn't think to get this to me earlier? You know, like three months ago?"

Jeanie wasn't having that. "When was I supposed to bring it up, Kyle? The fourth time you never called or the sixth? You never contact me, son. We don't talk. How am I just going to call you with something so...so strange so delicate? And why? So you can blow off Ed to drive all the way here to pick it up? It was best if I held onto it."

Kyle was still frustrated but didn't have a leg to stand on. He really would have done everything she said.

"So you didn't see who left it here?" Kyle toned it down.

"It was just taped here, sweetheart. I kept a lookout for days just in case but never saw a soul. Honestly I was a little bit scared. I didn't think anyone knew where I lived."

"Well if really _is _Bradley, he has all sorts of connections to the police. But why would he leave the letter here? I'm on a lease, it's not like I'm living out of hotels any more. All in all I'm a pretty easy person to find if anyone is looking."

"I don't know what to tell you, hon. What are you going to do now?"

A million dollar question if there ever was one. Too many questions. After a small pause, Kyle hugged his mother tightly. "Beats me."


	5. Chapter 5: What It Comes Down To

****AUTHOR'S NOTE: Like the game, I will include a couple of endings to this story. After all, that's the nature of the Hotel Dusk universe, right? Here's the first possible ending. More to come soon. Thanks for reading. ****

Saturday

December 15 1984

New York City, 6:51 P.M.

Christmas lights lit up all the trees near Rockefeller Plaza. They were beautiful. Kyle thought they looked like a million little was a scene that Kyle was all too familiar with but it never got old. "New York, New York, it's a hell of a town" he sing songed in his mind. The city was one of the very few things that, to Kyle, lived up to the hype surrounding it. Moreover, he thoroughly enjoyed it. When he got downright honest about it with himself about it, he's be living here still had it not been for Bradley. But seeing Rachel everyday made up for it.

He was still reeling over the letter, now crumpling slightly in his back pocket. He tried his hardest not to think about it but that was near impossible. What the hell did Bradley want? Why now? Kyle's anxiety was surpassed only by confusion and admittedly, annoyance. Kyle had memories of Bradley, of course he did. But he just wanted to put it all behind him. After all, Bradley told him to just go on with his life. Kyle kept his end of the bargain. So what the hell?

All these thoughts were shelved as he turned a corner and saw the tree. Not just any tree. The Christmas tree at Rockefeller. It was beautiful and gigantic, towering over everyone. He crossed the busy street, which was ridiculously crowded with tourists, when he saw her overlooking the ice skaters. That golden blonde hair in a minimal but classy and suitable bun. Her cheeks were naturally blushed from the nippy air. Her eyes wide and sparkling from the reflection of lights. Her little pearl earrings matching her svelte frame which was draped in a fur coat. Kyle's heart was bursting at the seams and, admittedly, so were his pants. He approached her nervously because in the midst of all this craziness, Kyle never had time to prepare a serious face to greet her with. As he tried to straighten his crooked smirk and cool his burning blushing face, Rachel looked up moving a rogue strand of hair from her eyes and spotted him. Her face lit up with a smile and she mouthed "Hey!"

Kyle mouthed back. He did a half jog over to her and she made her way over to him meeting halfway. They hugged

"Hey, look at you here right on time." Rachel said smiling

"Yeah, here I am."

"How are you liking the city, sweete?"

"I used to live here for years and everytime I come back, I wish I never left."

"But then you wouldn't have met me."

Kyle blushed. Before he could defend that statement, Rachel just chuckled and and announced "I'm starved, you wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure. Lets go."

Rachel hailed down a cab and headed to Central Park. Kyle got his favorite street vendor food: falafel. Rachel went with the world famous New York hot dog with everything on it. They walked through Central Park together eating, passing roller bladers and snowball fighters.

"So how was time with the family?" Kyle asked between bites

"Well. Can I be honest? Boring. I love my family, and I love to see them. But every year its with the same stories and the same questions and the same same same. But that's family right?"

"Yeah, that's family" they approached a fountain with an angel on top.

"So how about you? You saw your mother yesterday right?"

This caught KYle off guard "I never told you I was going to see my mother…"

"Mmm no," Rachel swallowed a bit of hot dog before speaking "I just figured if you'd be in the area, you'd see her, right? I mean."

"Yeah! Okay, I get it. Yeah. I saw her last night. She's doing well. I just wish she'd move out of that dump Jersey. We just talked. We never do so I guess it wasn't so bad."

Rachel nodded. Kyle thought about whether or not he should bring up the letter . The thought danced in his head for a while. After all, Rachel knew all about the whole Bradley charade. She knew the names, the places and times of the whole affair. Kyle didn't know this but Rachel had become mildly obsessed with the whole thing because she figured that something that was powerful enough to emotionally unnerve Kyle must be interesting. Anyway, she could certainly provide some valid insight into the situation. This whole ethought process cost about eight minutes of silence. They had already walked to the center of the park with the fountain.

"Kyle?" Rachel touched his shoulder.

"Mmm?" He replied mildly startled.

"What's wrong?"

"It's no-"

"And don't say 'it's nothing'. What's going on."

Kyle sighed. After all, she was as qualified as anyone.

"Bradley tried to contact me."

Her face sank and went pale. She lightly disposed of her half-eaten hotdog. She was done with that.

"What- What do you mean?"

"I mean that Bradley tried to contact me. My mom found this taped to her door a couple of months ago."

He took out the frumpy little black envelope and surrendered it to Rachel. She held it in her hand, staring at the embossed letters. She couldn't even decide what to say about it. Her emotions were a mixed bag that started with confusion, shifted to desperation, faded to anxiety and eventually settled on anger. She considered this New York trip the chance to actually make a move and be with Kyle. The anger took away all her shy, coy thoughts and allowed her to be blunt with herself. She loved Kyle and she wanted to be with him and she wanted him to openly love her all, how long could this game go on? They were both single and they weren't getting any younger. And there was nobody else. And just when the chance appears, Bradley comes back to mess it up. This flash of fury and emotion took only nine seconds of Rachel's rapid mental calculation. She looked at Kyle who was waiting for some kind of answer or response. She mulled it over and eventually decided on

"So?"

This really had Kyle perplexed. He didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't that.

"So…?"

"Ugh, Kyle." She rubbed her eyes under her glasses with her index and thumb. "I mean, so what? So what if he contacted you? What could he send you that could possibly change anything? Its been years. How much more time do you want to dedicate to this? You said it yourself. Its ancient history." Rachel said all this very calmly. Though she was as curious as anyone to know what the letter held. They just sat there not talking for a while. People passed and played and the whole world seemed to pass them by.

"I don't think I want to read it Rachel." Kyle finally let out, tired.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked emotionless.

"No. I'm not. But that letter can bring nothing good. I'm tired, Rachel. I'm tired of that case. I want to move on. I like solving things but Bradley, God bless him, is just an old joke that gets rehashed at a party. A running gag with a cheap punchline that makes everyone in the room groan."

"So. What do we do with it?" Rachel asked, her nerve endings exploding with anticipation.

"Why don't you hang onto it? I can trust you. You could just keep it."

She wasn't having another burden.

"No."

"No?"

"No. I'm not keeping it. If you don't want it, we'll toss it and be done. If you want it, you'll hang onto it. But I can't do it. As much as I love y-"

They froze, both pale as the snow falling. The "L" word. THE "L" word. Neither of them had ever said it before and it just seemed ridiculous out loud. Kyle didn't push it. Rachel just gave up. She put her hand on his. The game was played out and the joke was over. Why bother? "Kyle, I love you. I really love you and I want to be with you. I know you feel the same. I know you do so don't even bother denying it. The only question I have is 'What will you do about it?". I can't wait forever. I don't want to."

Kyle said he was tired and he meant it. It was a horrible internal battle but Rachel waited patiently. Kyle deserved to be happy and he knew it. He was a man in every way be he could never step up to Rachel. He wasn't ready. After a good debate inside, he decided not to deny it anymore. He grabbed the letter from her hand and kissed her on the forehead. He walked away.

Kyle checked into a hotel that night. Nothing fancy, nothing dangerous. After stalling for hours he finally opened the letter. It was a simple message.

Kyle,

I'm sorry to write you like this but I need your help. Something has gone wrong with NILE and they're after me. This time, they're getting close. I barely have time to breathe before I have to relocate. I can't leave a number for obvious reasons but meet me where you last saw me. Christmas Eve, 11:00 PM.

-Bradley

This had Kyle wondering whether or not he made the right decision. Leaving Rachel there and, very possibly, killing their relationship. What the hell could he do about NILE? Why meet? Sure, he foiled a couple of NILE's plans but they were a crime syndicate not to be reckoned with. In the most unofficial of ways, Kyle himself was in hiding as well. He hadn't thought about it much but damn, just being in the Northeast was a huge gamble. The uneasiness that had rushed up on him and Jeff flooded back to him and he no longer felt alone anywhere he went. He stayed in and got room service that night. He stayed on a few more and the night came. December 24th. 11:00pm. Kyle was nervous. He was at the dock right on time but nobody was there. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling he wasn't alone. A man showed up behind him and Kyle turned around. It was dark but he could just make out that it was Bradley. His blood ran cold and his heart beat loudly.

"Bradley! I'm here, what is it? What's going on?" Bradley walked forward into the bright moonlight. He looked terrified and made eye gestures to his left. Kyle noticed something shiny in the moonlight against Bradley's head. Bradley was being held at gunpoint and that's when Kyle realized it. This was an ambush. Kyle quickly un-holstered his handgun but not quickly enough. From behind, he was beat on the shoulder with a nightstick. His gun went off but not in any helpful way. The bullet just hit the dock. Kyle was confused. Three men were above him. He'd never seen them before in his life but he didn't need to. He knew exactly who they were. NILE no doubt. Kyle was on the floor now being kicked repeatedly and stomped on. He tasted blood. they screamed at him. Things like "Yeah! Yeah! Get him! Take the fucker out!". But only one said anything that answered Kyle's question. Why? One shouted "We've been watching you Kyle" the figure said between kicks, allowing just enough time for Kyle to hear it. "You don't think we've been onto you? You fucked with the campaign Kyle, you fucked with the paintings. You don't think we fucking know? You don't fuck with NILE!" Kyle tried his hardest but couldn't say anything. He felt like a damn fool.

He managed to see Bradley. Bradley managed to mouth "I'm sorry" before being shot point blank and dropped to the water like a useless duffel bag. Kyle was losing consciousness now. He looked straight up as he was being stomped on. He looked at the moon. He thought of his mom who would now have nothing left. He thought of Ed losing his makeshift family. He thought of Mila losing one of her best friends. He thought of Claire and Sidney when they would hear the news. Finally, he thought of Rachel. He thought of how he was so stupid. How he turned her down and how he would never see her again. In the end, this was the most painful. There wasn't a thing in the world that would make him feel solace. Or so he thought. He thought of her smile. And he managed to crack out his signature smirk. It held there for a while until it faded. Until Kyle faded.

The End.


	6. Chapter 6: Alternate Ending 2: Rachel

****AUTHOR'S NOTE: As promised, here is the second alternate ending. A large chunk is re-written. If you really just want new content just scroll to the second to last paragraph. ****

Saturday

December 15 1984

New York City, 6:51 P.M.

Christmas lights lit up all the trees near Rockefeller Plaza. They were beautiful. Kyle thought they looked like a million little fireflies. It was a scene that Kyle was all too familiar with but it never got old. "New York, New York, it's a hell of a town" he sing songed in his mind. The city was one of the very few things that, to Kyle, lived up to the hype surrounding it. Moreover, he thoroughly enjoyed it. When he got downright honest about it with himself about it, he's be living here still had it not been for Bradley. But seeing Rachel everyday made up for it.

He was still reeling over the letter, now crumpling slightly in his back pocket. He tried his hardest not to think about it but that was near impossible. What the hell did Bradley want? Why now? Kyle's anxiety was surpassed only by confusion and admittedly, annoyance. Kyle had memories of Bradley, of course he did. But he just wanted to put it all behind him. After all, Bradley told him to just go on with his life. Kyle kept his end of the bargain. So what the hell?

All these thoughts were shelved as he turned a corner and saw the tree. Not just any tree. The Christmas tree at Rockefeller. It was beautiful and gigantic, towering over everyone. He crossed the busy street, which was ridiculously crowded with tourists, when he saw her overlooking the ice skaters. That golden blonde hair in a minimal but classy and suitable bun. Her cheeks were naturally blushed from the nippy air. Her eyes wide and sparkling from the reflection of lights. Her little pearl earrings matching her svelte frame which was draped in a fur coat. Kyle's heart was bursting at the seams and, admittedly, so were his pants. He approached her nervously because in the midst of all this craziness, Kyle never had time to prepare a serious face to greet her with. As he tried to straighten his crooked smirk and cool his burning blushing face, Rachel looked up moving a rogue strand of hair from her eyes and spotted him. Her face lit up with a smile and she mouthed "Hey!"

Kyle mouthed back. He did a half jog over to her and she made her way over to him meeting halfway. They hugged

"Hey, look at you here right on time." Rachel said smiling

"Yeah, here I am."

"How are you liking the city, sweete?"

"I used to live here for years and everytime I come back, I wish I never left."

"But then you wouldn't have met me."

Kyle blushed. Before he could defend that statement, Rachel just chuckled and and announced "I'm starved, you wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure. Lets go."

Rachel hailed down a cab and headed to Central Park. Kyle got his favorite street vendor food: falafel. Rachel went with the world famous New York hot dog with everything on it. They walked through Central Park together eating, passing roller bladers and snowball fighters.

"So how was time with the family?" Kyle asked between bites

"Well. Can I be honest? Boring. I love my family, and I love to see them. But every year its with the same stories and the same questions and the same same same. But that's family right?"

"Yeah, that's family" they approached a fountain with an angel on top.

"So how about you? You saw your mother yesterday right?"

This caught KYle off guard "I never told you I was going to see my mother…"

"Mmm no," Rachel swallowed a bit of hot dog before speaking "I just figured if you'd be in the area, you'd see her, right? I mean."

"Yeah! Okay, I get it. Yeah. I saw her last night. She's doing well. I just wish she'd move out of that dump Jersey. We just talked. We never do so I guess it wasn't so bad."

Rachel nodded. Kyle thought about whether or not he should bring up the letter . The thought danced in his head for a while. After all, Rachel knew all about the whole Bradley charade. She knew the names, the places and times of the whole affair. Kyle didn't know this but Rachel had become mildly obsessed with the whole thing because she figured that something that was powerful enough to emotionally unnerve Kyle must be interesting. Anyway, she could certainly provide some valid insight into the situation. This whole ethought process cost about eight minutes of silence. They had already walked to the center of the park with the fountain.

"Kyle?" Rachel touched his shoulder.

"Mmm?" He replied mildly startled.

"What's wrong?"

"It's no-"

"And don't say 'it's nothing'. What's going on."

Kyle sighed. After all, she was as qualified as anyone.

"Bradley tried to contact me."

Her face sank and went pale. She lightly disposed of her half-eaten hotdog. She was done with that.

"What- What do you mean?"

"I mean that Bradley tried to contact me. My mom found this taped to her door a couple of months ago."

He took out the frumpy little black envelope and surrendered it to Rachel. She held it in her hand, staring at the embossed letters. She couldn't even decide what to say about it. Her emotions were a mixed bag that started with confusion, shifted to desperation, faded to anxiety and eventually settled on anger. She considered this New York trip the chance to actually make a move and be with Kyle. The anger took away all her shy, coy thoughts and allowed her to be blunt with herself. She loved Kyle and she wanted to be with him and she wanted him to openly love her all, how long could this game go on? They were both single and they weren't getting any younger. And there was nobody else. And just when the chance appears, Bradley comes back to mess it up. This flash of fury and emotion took only nine seconds of Rachel's rapid mental calculation. She looked at Kyle who was waiting for some kind of answer or response. She mulled it over and eventually decided on

"So?"

This really had Kyle perplexed. He didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't that.

"So…?"

"Ugh, Kyle." She rubbed her eyes under her glasses with her index and thumb. "I mean, so what? So what if he contacted you? What could he send you that could possibly change anything? Its been years. How much more time do you want to dedicate to this? You said it yourself. Its ancient history." Rachel said all this very calmly. Though she was as curious as anyone to know what the letter held. They just sat there not talking for a while. People passed and played and the whole world seemed to pass them by.

"I don't think I want to read it Rachel." Kyle finally let out, tired.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked emotionless.

"No. I'm not. But that letter can bring nothing good. I'm tired, Rachel. I'm tired of that case. I want to move on. I like solving things but Bradley, God bless him, is just an old joke that gets rehashed at a party. A running gag with a cheap punchline that makes everyone in the room groan."

"So. What do we do with it?" Rachel asked, her nerve endings exploding with anticipation.

"Why don't you hang onto it? I can trust you. You could just keep it."

She wasn't having another burden.

"No."

"No?"

"No. I'm not keeping it. If you don't want it, we'll toss it and be done. If you want it, you'll hang onto it. But I can't do it. As much as I love y-"

They froze, both pale as the snow falling. The "L" word. THE "L" word. Neither of them had ever said it before and it just seemed ridiculous out loud. Kyle didn't push it. Rachel just gave up. She put her hand on his. The game was played out and the joke was over. Why bother? "Kyle, I love you. I really love you and I want to be with you. I know you feel the same. I know you do so don't even bother denying it. The only question I have is 'What will you do about it?". I can't wait forever. I don't want to."

Kyle said he was tired and he meant it. It was a horrible internal battle but Rachel waited patiently. Kyle deserved to be happy and he knew it. He was a man in every way but he could never step up to Rachel. He wasn't ready.

But when would he be anyway? He grabbed the letter from her hand and kissed her on the forehead. Hesitating for the slightest moment, he ripped up the letter into a bunch of tiny pieces and threw it into a cold rushing wind. Rachel smiled. Kyle smiled back. They walked out of the park hand in hand. Her getting closer to him as the night went on. They talked openly about themselves. The way people would normally if they knew eachother as long as they did. They laughed about Ed and what a dump Red Crown is and they laughed about all the times they actually came close to just asking eachother out. They talked of their families and friends, well, Rachel's anyway. They took a train into Brooklyn and sat on a bench in Brooklyn Heights Promenade just looking onto the city holding hands. They shared their first kiss.

Rachel and Kyle stayed in New York until New Years day, 1985. They saw the ball drop live and endured that massive chaos. They fell in love. When it was time to go home, Rachel loaded her things into his car and happily accompanied him on the drive. Somethings will never change.


End file.
